Baltimore police officer suspended amid FBI probe

Justin Fenton, The Baltimore Sun

A Baltimore City police officer has been suspended after officials were notified by the FBI that he is under investigation, a police spokesman confirmed.

The notification came from the same public corruption squad that developed the case against the officers in last year's towing kickback scandal that ensnared more than 30 officers, though there is no indication that the case are related.The officers were suspended or charged after it was discovered they were encouraging motorists to use a select group of towing companies after an investigation began in 2011.

FBI spokesman Richard Wolf said that the officer was not arrested but declined to comment further. Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi confirmed that an officer was suspended after receiving instruction from federal authorities, but declined to identify the officer pending the investigation.

A source with knowledge of the situation said the officer was suspended Monday, and is a member of the Violent Crimes Impact Squad. VCIS officers have charged in two recent misconduct cases.

Adam Lewellen, a member of the Violent Crimes Impact Section, was charged earlier this month with lying in a search warrant affidavit to gain entry to a Canton home, then trying to obstruct an ensuing internal affairs investigation.

A second officer, Carlos Vila, also of the violent crimes unit, had been charged earlier this year with tape-recording a conversation with a judge, violating the state's wiretapping laws.

City Council President Bernard C. “Jack” Young has advocated for disbanding the unit, saying it is the source of most citizen complaints and is not accountable. He called for it be put under the control of district majors.